Breast protective garment

ABSTRACT

A universal breast protective garment for significantly reducing impact forces to the breasts is formed of one or more elastomeric materials and is structured and configured to adjustably fit around a woman&#39;s upper torso. Left and right breast pockets are formed on a front chest portion between outer and inner layers of soft elastomeric material (e.g., neoprene) and comfortably surround and configure to the wearer&#39;s breasts. Each pocket has an opening for inserting and removing a protective breast cup assembly that includes an inner cup formed of a compressible elastomeric polymer for absorbing and dissipating impact forces, and an outer shell formed of a semi-rigid polymeric material for deflecting impact forces and resisting pinching and squeezing. Shoulder straps, side panels and other areas of the garment are adjustable to accommodate a range of body and breast sizes and to enable proper fit on the wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to protective sports garments and, more particularly, to a universal breast protective garment for women that absorbs and dissipates impact forces to the breasts, while discouraging pinching and squeezing of the breasts that occurs in women's contact and collision sports.

Discussion of the Related Art

Women participating in contact and collision sports are prone to all sorts of injuries including breast injuries (e.g., bruising) that can result from direct forces of impact to the breasts, as well as from pinching and squeezing of the breasts by other participants. Examples of direct forces of impact may be caused by being struck by another participant, which may be by incidental collision or intentional punching or elbow jabs. Direct and potentially injurious forces of impact to the breasts may also result by being struck by a ball or other object during play, as well as from impact with the ground, floor or ice playing surface. Bruising and other injuries to the breasts during women's contact and collision sports occur quite frequently, can be severe and present a significant concern.

In the past, others have proposed various sports bras and upper body garments that are designed to provide protection to the breasts while participating in sports activities. All known breast protective garments in the related art are lacking in femininity and some are rather bulky and unsightly. Some of these garments in the related art provide extra padding in the breast area, including polymers that are adhered to the fabric of the garment. While these breast protective garments can help to cushion impact forces to the breasts, they are not structured to deflect impact forces, nor do they completely absorb and dissipate impact forces to the breasts. Therefore, a woman wearing the various breast protective garments in the related art may still suffer significant bruising and other injury despite the fact that the protective garment may have reduced the severity of the impact force. Moreover, these various protective garments in the related art are not designed to resist forces from pinching and squeezing of the breasts which occurs quite frequently during the course of women's competitive contact and collision sports events. A further problem associated with the various breast protective sports bras in the related art is the inability to easily remove the protective material in the breast cup of the bra. In most cases, the protective cushioning material is permanently adhered to the fabric of the garment and cannot be removed for separate laundering or replacement with varying density materials to accommodate particular sports activities.

Others have proposed breast protective garments in the related art that have breast cups formed of a compressible cushion polymer material covered by an outer rigid shell. While this proposed structure may have some benefit to resist against pinching and squeezing, the use of the rigid cup in many instances is not acceptable, as it will cause further injury to the wearer, as well as possibly to other participants. For example, in boxing and mixed martial arts, a participant may suffer serious hand injury from punching a rigid cup fitted over the opponent's breasts. Moreover, the edge of a rigid cup will hit the wearer's chest and cause bruising and other injury when the rigid cup is subjected to forces of impact.

Accordingly, despite the efforts of others in the related art, there still remains a definite and urgent need for a universal breast protective garment, generally in the form of a sports bra, that retains a feminine appearance and which is specifically structured to protect a woman's breasts and chest while participating in women's contact and collision sports by significantly reducing the effect of impact forces to the breasts and chest. Moreover, there is an urgent need for a universal breast protective garment that is specifically designed to at least partially deflect impact forces to the breasts, while resisting pinching and squeezing, and to absorb and dissipate impact forces that are not initially deflected, thereby protecting the breasts from bruising and other injury.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a universal breast protective garment for significantly reducing impact forces to a woman's breasts when participating in contact and collision sports. The universal breast protective garment is structured and configured to adjustably fit around a woman's upper torso and includes a front chest portion that comfortably surrounds and configures to the wearer's breasts. Left and right breast pockets are formed in the front chest portion between outer and inner layers of elastomeric material (e.g., neoprene) and include an opening for inserting and removing a protective breast cup assembly in each pocket. Each breast cup assembly includes an inner cup formed of a compressible elastomeric polymer that absorbs and dissipates impact forces, and an outer shell formed of a semi-rigid polymeric material that is harder than the inner cup and structured for deflecting impact forces and resisting pinching and squeezing. Shoulder straps, side panels and other areas of the garment are adjustable for proper fit on the wearer.

The universal breast protective garment of the present invention is useful in a wide variety of women's contact and collision sports as a breast and chest protector including, but not limited to, the following:

-   -   Women's Full Contact American Football     -   Women's Lacrosse     -   Women's Floor Hockey     -   Women's Field Hockey     -   Women's Water Polo     -   Women's Basketball     -   Women's Ice Hockey     -   Women's Roller Derby     -   Women's Boxing     -   Women's Mixed Martial Arts     -   Women's Karate     -   Women's Handball     -   Women's Softball

Objects and Advantages of the Invention

Considering the forgoing, it is a primary object if the present invention to provide a universal breast protective garment that adjustably fits and conforms to a wide range of body sizes, and wherein the breast protective garment has universal application for a wide variety of women's impact and collision sports, and further wherein the breast protective garment is specifically structured to deflect at least a portion of impact forces to the breasts, while resisting pinching and squeezing of the breasts, and to further absorb and dissipate impact forces that are not deflected, thereby protecting the breasts from bruising and other injury.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a universal breast protective garment that adjustably fits around and conforms to a wide range of women's sizes, and wherein the breast protective garment is structured to resemble a sports bra, and further wherein the universal breast protective garment is structured for significantly reducing impact forces to the breasts.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a universal breast protective garment that retains a desirable feminine appearance while also protecting the breasts and chest by significantly reducing the effect of impact forces to the breasts and chest.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a breast protective garment, generally in the form of a sports bra, and which includes pockets in the breast area for removably receiving protective breast cup assemblies therein, and further wherein the breast cup assemblies include and inner cup formed of a compressible elastomeric polymer that is compressible and has full elastic memory and an outer shell formed of a semi-rigid polymer material that is harder than the inner cup but still compressible with full elastic memory as well.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a breast protective garment, as described above, wherein the protective breast cup assemblies are removable from the pockets of the garment to allow for separate washing in the laundry of the garment and breast cups.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a universal breast protective garment, as described above, and wherein the garment is provided in the form of a sports bra made of neoprene, polyester or cotton.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a universal breast protective garment generally in the form of a sports bra, as described above, wherein the sports bra and protective breast cup assemblies are all fully breathable to avoid excessive heat and perspiration.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a universal breast protective garment that includes pockets for removably receiving protective breast cup assemblies, and wherein the breast cup assemblies include an outer shell formed of a semi-rigid polymer material designed to deflect forces of impact and resist pinching and squeezing, and an inner cup formed of a compressible elastomeric polymer that is structured for absorbing and dissipating impact forces.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are more readily apparent with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing the universal breast protective garment worn on a woman;

FIG. 2 is a side, rear perspective view illustrating releasable and adjustable attachment of overlapping front and rear side panels of the universal breast protective garment;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view showing an inner cup of a protective breast cup assembly;

FIG. 4 is an exploded side perspective view showing an outer cup and inner cup of the protective breast cup assembly, wherein the inner cup is formed of an impact absorbing elastomeric polymer and the outer cup is formed of a semi-rigid polymeric material that is harder than the inner cup;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along an upper portion of the front chest panel of the breast protective garment showing left and right pocket openings for receiving left and right protective breast cup assemblies therein;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line indicated as 6-6 in FIG. 1 showing the inner and outer cups of the protective breast cup assembly fitted within one of the pockets on the front chest panel of the garment; and

FIG. 7 is a side, rear perspective view showing the breast protective garment properly fitted on a woman with back side panel flaps overlying front side panels and adjustably and releasably secured thereto.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the several views of the drawings, and initially FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the universal breast protective garment is shown and is generally indicated as 10. As seen in the drawings, the universal breast protective garment 10 is in the form of a sports bra and may be constructed of an elastomeric material (e.g., neoprene or polyester), cotton, or other breathable and form-fitting materials. In a preferred embodiment, the garment 10 is constructed entirely, or at least partially, of neoprene and includes a front chest panel 20 with left and right chest portions 22, 24, a back panel 25, overlapping front and rear side flaps 26, 27, and shoulder straps 28.

The universal, form-fitting breast protective garment 10 is adjustable to accommodate a wide range of upper body sizes and breast sizes. To provide for universal sizing, form fit and proper support, the garment 10 includes adjustable shoulder straps 28, adjustable overlapping side flaps 26, 27 below the arms, and a size adjustment feature between the breasts. In a preferred embodiment, the left and right shoulder straps 28 each include front segments 30, rear segments 32 and buckles 34 or other members to allow for sliding passage of front strap segments 30 and adjustment of the shoulder strap length. Releasable attachment means, such as hook and loop fasteners, allow for securing overlapping portions of the front shoulder strap segments 30 at adjusted positions to fit to the size of the wearer. The overlapping side adjustment flaps on each side of the garment include a front side flap 26 that extends from the front chest panel 20 and a rear side flap 27 that extends from the back panel 25 of the garment 10. The overlapping side flaps are provided with releasable fasteners 38, such as hook and loop fasteners, for adjusted attachment of a rear side flap 27 to a front side flap 26. In a preferred embodiment, the size adjustment between the breasts is provided by a lace or drawstring 40 that passes through eyelets 42, as seen in FIG. 1. Tightening and loosening of the drawstring 40 through the eyelets can be achieved with the use of a spring-loaded barrel lock fastener mechanism 44 that is well known in the art. Pulling the drawstring 40 tighter serves to move the left and right chest portions 22, 24 closer together, while loosening the drawstring 40 allows for more separation between the left and right chest portions 22, 24. When released, the spring-loaded barrel fastener 44 holds the drawstring 40 at the adjusted position. In combination, the adjustable shoulder straps 28, overlapping side flaps 26, 27, and drawstring adjustment 40 between the breasts allow for universal sizing and fitting of the breast protective garment 10 to a wide range of upper body and breast sizes.

The left and right chest portions 22, 24 on the front chest panel 20 are constructed to have an inner layer of material 50 and an outer layer of material 52 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). In a preferred embodiment, the inner layer 50 is thinner than the outer layer 52. Both the inner layer and outer layer are formed of an elastomeric breathable material such as neoprene. The inner layer of material 50 is attached (e.g., by stitching) to the outer layer 52 to form left and right breast pockets 54 with an access opening 56 (see FIG. 5) along the top or side of each pocket 54. The left and right breast pockets 54 are positioned to align with and overly the left and right breasts of the wearer. As shown in FIG. 6, the pockets 54 are each sized and configured to receive a protective breast cup assembly 60 therein.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, left and right breast cup assemblies 60 each include an inner cup 62 formed of an elastomeric material that is fully compressible. The inner cup has full elastic memory and will not bottom out when subjected to compressive impact forces. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner cup has a concave inner facing side 63 and a convex outer facing side 64. The inner cup 62 is sized according to the breast size of the wearer and, when received within the respective breast pocket 54 of the garment 10, protectively covers the wearer's breast. The left and right breast cup assemblies 60 each further include an outer shell 66 formed of a semi-rigid elastomeric material. The outer shell 66 is harder than the inner cup 62, but is still compressible. The outer shell 66 has a convex outer side 68 and a concave inner side 67 that is sized and shaped for congruent nested receipt of the inner cup 62, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. In a preferred embodiment, the outer shell 66 has hardness ranging between 20-75 and the inner cup 62 has a hardness ranging between 20-55, as measured by a TECLOCK durometer, model JS S 6050. The outer shell 66 is structured to deflect impact forces to the chest and breast, similar to a sports helmet. However, the elastomeric nature of the outer shell 66 material allows the outer shell 66 to also absorb and dissipate a portion of the impact force. The inner cup 62 is structured to further absorb and dissipate forces of impact to thereby substantially reduce the amount of impact to the chest and breast and significantly reduce bruising and injury to the chest and breast. The combined function of the outer shell 66 and inner cup 62 allows the breast cup assemblies 60 to absorb and dissipate over 50 percent of the impact force to the chest and breasts of the wearer. This ability to absorb and dissipate a significant amount of impact force makes the garment 10 of the present invention suitable for use in a large number of women's contact and collision sports as a breast and chest protector.

The breast cup assemblies 60 are inserted within and removed from each respective pocket 54 through the pocket opening 56. This allows for removal of the breast cup assemblies for washing the garment 10 and individually hand washing the inner cup 62 and outer shell 66 as necessary. The ability to easily insert and remove the breast cup assemblies 60 also allows for interchanging breast cup assemblies of varying cup size to accommodate different breast sizes as well as to change the hardness of the outer shell 66 and/or inner cup 62 as appropriate for different activities.

Adjusted movement of the left and right chest portions 22, 24, as described above, serves to selectively move and hold the left and right breast pockets 54, and left and right breast cup assemblies 60 therein, closer together or further apart through a range of adjusted positions.

While the present invention has been shown and described in accordance with a preferred and practical embodiment thereof, it is recognized that departures from the instant disclosure are fully contemplated within the spirit and scope of the present invention which are not to be limited except as defined in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A universal breast protective garment comprising: a front chest panel having a left portion and a right portion; a back panel; adjustable shoulder straps extending between and connecting to the front chest panel and the back panel; left and right front side flaps extending from the respective left and right portions of the front chest panel; left and right rear side flaps extending from the back panel for releasable and adjustable attachment to the corresponding left and right front side flaps; left and right pockets formed in the respective left and right portions of the front chest panel, and said pockets being sized and positioned for overlying and conforming to configuration of the left and right breasts of the wearer when the garment is worn on the wearer, and the left and right pockets each including a pocket opening; and left and right protective breast cup assemblies on the respective left and right portions of the front chest panel each comprising: an outer shell formed of a compressible polymeric material having full elastic memory and having a first degree of hardness for deflecting impact forces and resisting pinching and squeezing forces; an inner cup sized and configured for nested receipt within the outer shell and the inner cup formed of a compressible elastomeric polymer having full elastic memory and having a hardness of a second degree that is less than the hardness of the outer shell; and the left and right pockets on the front chest panel being sized, structured and configured for removable receipt of the respective left and right protective breast cup assemblies therein so that the left and right protective breast cup assemblies align with and cover the breasts of the wearer.
 2. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 1 further comprising a breast adjustment structure for adjusting, moving and holding the left and right portions of the front chest panel relative to one another.
 3. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 2 wherein the breast adjustment structure selectively moves and holds the pockets and the left and right protective breast cup assemblies closer together or further apart through a range of adjusted positions.
 4. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 3 wherein the breast adjustment structure includes at least one drawstring between the left and right pockets.
 5. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 4 wherein the drawstring has a spring loaded fastener for holding the drawstring at a selected adjusted position throughout the range of adjusted positions.
 6. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 1 wherein the garment is at least partially constructed of neoprene.
 7. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 6 wherein the left and right portions of the front chest panel include an inner layer of material and an outer layer of material with the pockets formed therebetween.
 8. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 7 wherein the inner layer of material and the outer layer of material are formed of an elastomeric breathable material.
 9. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 1 wherein the first degree of hardness of the outer shell ranges between 20-75 as measured by a TECLOCK durometer, model JS S
 6050. 10. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 9 wherein the second degree of hardness of the inner cup ranges between 20-55, as measured by a TECLOCK durometer, model JS S
 6050. 11. A universal breast protective garment comprising: a front chest panel having a left portion and a right portion; a back panel; shoulder straps extending between and connecting to the front chest panel and the back panel; left and right pockets formed in the respective left and right portions of the front chest panel, and said pockets being sized and positioned for overlying and conforming to configuration of the left and right breasts of the wearer when the garment is worn on the wearer, and the left and right pockets each including a pocket opening; and left and right protective breast cup assemblies on the respective left and right portions of the front chest panel each comprising: an outer shell formed of a compressible polymeric material having full elastic memory and having a first degree of hardness for deflecting impact forces and resisting pinching and squeezing forces; an inner cup sized and configured for nested receipt within the outer shell and the inner cup formed of a compressible elastomeric polymer having full elastic memory and having a hardness of a second degree that is less than the hardness of the outer shell; and the left and right pockets on the front chest panel being sized, structured and configured for removable receipt of the respective left and right protective breast cup assemblies therein so that the left and right protective breast cup assemblies align with and cover the breasts of the wearer.
 12. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 11 further comprising a breast adjustment structure for adjusting, moving and holding the left and right portions of the front chest panel relative to one another.
 13. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 12 wherein the breast adjustment structure selectively moves and holds the pockets and the left and right protective breast cup assemblies closer together or further apart through a range of adjusted positions.
 14. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 13 wherein the breast adjustment structure includes at least one drawstring between the left and right pockets.
 15. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 4 wherein the drawstring has a spring loaded fastener for holding the drawstring at a selected adjusted position throughout the range of adjusted positions.
 16. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 11 wherein the garment is at least partially constructed of neoprene.
 17. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 16 wherein the left and right portions of the front chest panel include an inner layer of material and an outer layer of material with the pockets formed therebetween.
 18. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 17 wherein the inner layer of material and the outer layer of material are formed of an elastomeric breathable material.
 19. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 11 wherein the first degree of hardness of the outer shell ranges between 20-75 as measured by a TECLOCK durometer, model JS S
 6050. 20. The universal breast protective garment as recited in claim 19 wherein the second degree of hardness of the inner cup ranges between 20-55, as measured by a TECLOCK durometer, model JS S
 6050. 